View source for Cunife

{{confused|kunifer}}
'''Cunife''' is an [[alloy]] of [[copper]] (Cu), [[nickel]] (Ni), [[iron]] (Fe), and in some cases [[cobalt]] (Co).  The alloy has the same linear [[coefficient of expansion]] as certain types of glass, and thus makes an ideal material for the lead out wires in light bulbs and [[thermionic valve]]s.  [[Fernico]] exhibits a similar property.  It is a [[magnetic alloy]] and can be used for making [[magnet]]s.
Cunife has a magnetic [[coercivity]] of several hundred [[oersted]]s.  Unlike most high coercivity magnetic materials which are hard and brittle and need to be [[casting|cast]] into shape, cunife can be [[wire drawing|drawn]] into thin wires.  Wires as thin as five [[Thousandth of an inch|thou]] can be produced this way.<ref>Irvin L. Cooter, Robert E. Mundy, [http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/jres/59/jresv59n6p379_A1b.pdf "Cunife wire magnets of small size"], ''Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards'', vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 379-382, December 1957.</ref> Thicker rods of the material can be [[Screw thread|threaded]] which is also something that is not possible with the more commonly used magnetic materials.<ref>[[Seth Lover]], interviewed 1992 by [[Tony Bacon]] [https://reverb.com/news/interview-seth-lover-on-inventing-the-paf-humbucker-and-why-he-left-gibson-for-fender-bacons-archive]</ref>
In the early 1970s, [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation]] used Cunife magnets in their [[Fender Wide Range|Wide Range]] [[humbucker]] [[guitar pickup|pickup]]s, however they discontinued use, due to Cunife being hard to source. Fender began producing cunife pickups again in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fender American Original '70s Telecaster Custom review |url=https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/fender-american-original-70s-telecaster-custom |website=Music Radar |date=August 2020 |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |accessdate=24 August 2020}}</ref>
== Typical compositions ==
Given in weight %
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! [[Copper|Cu]]
! [[Nickel|Ni]]
! [[Iron|Fe]]
! [[Cobalt|Co]]
|-
| Cunife 1
| 60%
| 20%
| 20%
| -
|-
| Cunife 2
| 60%
| 20%
| 17.5%
| 2.5%
|-
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080302034606/http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/27.html National Pollutant Inventory - Copper and compounds fact sheet]
[[Category:Copper alloys]]
[[Category:Magnetic alloys]]